Folding stool.



A. A. MEEKER.

FOLDING STOOL.

PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP 1513.17, 1911. 1,026,759. 1 Patentea May 21, 1912.

ALBERT A. MEEKER, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING STOOL.

Loaegrsa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 21, 1912.

Application filed February 17, 1911. Serial No. 609,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT A. MEEKER, of New York city, York and the State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Folding.` Stool, of Which the following .is a specification.

Figure 1 is a view of my stoo-l when same is unfolded, braced and ready for use, showing flange of seat-rim and the location of the different parts below the flange. Fig. 2 is a view of the under side and inneiI side of fiange showing bracket-braces and the way in which the legs are attached thereto, and the entire stool folded within the flange. Fig. 3 is a view of the inner side of the detaohed leg showing the projections by which it is secured to the bracket-braces at the seat-rini, the over-lapping joint and the way it operates when folding the leg, and the groove and hole' whereby a horizontal brace is se-`V cured. Fig. 4 is a view of the horizontal brace of said stool and shows the projection and point which fits in the groove and clasps in the hole provided in the legs of the stool.

My invention has for its object to furnish a simple, inexpensive and useful stool so constructed that it will be neat in appearance, easy to unfold and fold, firm and substantial, making a comfortable seat when unfolded for use, and occupying the least possible space when folded.

The invention consists in the folding leg,

the way in which the leg is fastened to the:

seat-rim, the over-lapping joint in said leg, the groove, hole and manner of attaching a horizontal brace to the lower portion of the leg, and the entire combination and arrangement of bracing, folding and Securing a stool within the space inclosed by the flange of the seat-rim thereof.

A is the seat-rim which is of sufticient width to be securely attached to the bracketbraces which hold the legs of the stool.

B is a flange extending downward from the outer edge of the seat-rim to a width of about two inches, and is perpendicular to the plane of the seat of the stool.

C is a bracket-brace, riveted or otherwise securely fastenecl to the seat-rim and flange and supporting the leg at each side thereof.

C' isa hole in the corner of said bracket-' brace at the juncture of the seat-rim and flange, and is of proper size to receive a project-ion from the upper end of the leg of the stoolabout three-eighths of an inch in diameter.

in the county of New C2 is a clasp for securing'ithe horizontal brace when the stool is folded, and is made .by a point, at the lower end of the bracketfward sufiicient to seourely Clasp and retain said projection.

'C3 is the point at the upper corner of the bracket-brace eXtending beyond the seat rim suflicient to support the stool seat.

D is the upper portion of the leg extending from the seat-rim to the joint where it is attached to the lower portion of the leg.

d' is a. belt-like projection projecting out- Ward from the extreme upper end of the leg at its sides, parallel to the plane of the stool-seat and perpendicular to a plane made by the perpendicular of the leg and a point in the center of the seat of the stool, and is about three-eighths of an inch in diameter; it fits into the hole C' and is arranged so that the leg Will fold just to one side of the center of the stool seat.

alz is the shoulder which fits underneath the lower edge of the flange, B and operates as a brace for the leg of the stool.

(Z3 is a shoulder'against which the upper end of the lower part of the'leg rests when the leg is extended thus bracing the leg making it more secure.

` (Ztis the lower end of the upper part of the leg formed suitable in shape to fit within the upper end of the lower part of the leg.

ds is the connection of the upper part of i the leg to the Vlower part by means of a rivet which passes through both parts of the leg at the extreme lower end vof the upper part,

.and revolves within the upper part of the leg.

E is the lower part of the leg extending from the shoulder, (13 to the floor.

e' is the upper end of the lower part of the leg and is about two inches in length being formed to fit over the lower end of the upper part of the leg from the rivet to the shoulder, di so as to hold the leg firm When extended.

@2 is that portion of E which folds over ala When the leg is folded and is so shaped as to conform to the upper part of the leg at all points.

@3 is a groove extending downward from 62 and terminating'in a hole fashioned to fit a bolt-hke proJection extendlng downward from a horizontal brace; said groove and hole may be made, in a leg composed of metal, by cramping the leg into a cylindrical shape at the point where the groove terminates, or, by putting a rivet through the edges of the leg which are curved to form the groove.

F is a projection from a point on the outer side of the horizontal brace at a proper distance so as to fit into the groove in each leg, and the same distance as the clasps 02 are apart.

f' is a bolt-like point extending downward from F to a suflicient distance to fit into the hole at the termination of 63, and, when made of metal, is made by bending the extreme point of F downward until it is at rightl angles to a horizontal plane.

The above description and the accompanying drawings describe and portray the stool when composed entirely of metal; but the stool may be composed of wood or other materials by following said drawings and' keeping`in view the essential principles above set forth. Said drawings also portray a stool with four legs; but the same principles apply to a three legged stool except where the legs cross each other when folded they fold three legs deep instead of two legs deep as Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 shows the stool folded with the horizontal brace within the clasps C2 holding the legs in their folded position. To unfold the stool, place the thumb of each hand on said brace-fingers clasping seatrim-near any two oonsecutive clasps and pressing against the brace push sidewise away from the leg of the stool so that the brace will slide from within the clasps; hold the stool right side up at a proper height and the legs unfold by the force of gravity; take the horizontal brace (Fig. 4) and insert each projection 4 being careful to have f' pointing away from the seat and toward the lower end of the leginto a groove, 63, and allow f' to settle into the hole at the lower end of the groove; the stool is then firm and ready for use. To fold the stool, turn it seat downward; the

horizontal brace comes out and is put aside for a moment; the lower part of each leg folds within the inner side of the upper part; fold two legs directly opposite each other across the seat of the stool, which legs are so attached to the stool that they lie side by side when the stool has four legs, and likewise fold the other legs across the legs already folded; then take the horizontal brace and insert two consecutive projections, F, into two clasps 02 and pressing against the brace near the other projections, F, slide it within the remaining clasps.

The stool when folded occupies the space of a cylinder two inches long and twelve inches (ordinary size) in diameter. It may be stored away in cylindrical tiers or stacks-a cubic foot of space being more than suflicient for storing five stools.

The stool may be made so a back support can be attached or detached at will.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and for which I desire Letters Patent is:

1. In a collapsible stool, a seat member, a pluralit-y of spaced brackets attached to the seat member adjacent its edge, socketed lugs upon the brackets, folding legs pivoted to each bracket, sockets in the leg members, a brace having means detachably engaging the leg soekets, whereby upon disengaging the brace from the legs, the legs may be folded adjacent the seat and held in such position by engagement of bracewith the socketed lugs of the seat brackets.

2. In a collapsible stool, a seat member, folding legs pivoted to the seat, each leg consisting of two pivotally connected sections formed of a substantially channel shape, the upper section being provided with a shoulder spaced from its lower end, the lower section being pivoted adjacent its 'upper end so that its upper edge engages the shoulder of the upper section, whereby the sections may be collapsed to nest one within the other.x and folded up against the seat member.

ALBERT A. MEEKER.

VVitnesses:

CHARLES E. IIAMMOND, FRANK A. FALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing' the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

